Whitehead, Villalobos are ‘students of the month’ for September

Gabriella Whitehead and Stephanie “Heidi” Villalobos, both students at Hood River Valley High School, were chosen as Students of the Month for September by the Hood River Elks Lodge No. 1507. Each student was presented a check for $100 at a recent meeting.

n

Gabriella maintains a 3.7 GPA taking advance courses in Honors Medical Biology, Physical Science, AP Chemistry, Statistics, Spanish and Writing 121/122. She is a captain of the Speech and Debate Club, a member of the National Honor Society; participated on the Girls Golf Team helping the team to win first place at district; she is a member of the Nordic Team, placing in the top 50 at state, and plays trombone in the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band.

Gabriella’s community service includes the following: She researched and portrayed characters in Cemetery Tales for five years and helped organize and enter information for The History Museum of Hood River County; she helped at the front desk and sorted food for FISH Food Bank; she cooked and delivered food for the Hood River Warming Shelter; and she volunteered to work the haunted house for the Hood River Fire Department.

She is also a leader of Dos Estudiantes, which helps mentoring of younger students in Spanish and English.

Gabriella was stage manager for Columbia Gorge Dance Academy Spring Dance Recital; she volunteered in the production of “Hamlet” and the “Big Show in the Bowe”; she did some acting in the Binge Drinking Movie; and she helped organize Senora Sophie’s bilingual school classroom for the first day of school.

Gabriella’s Girl Scout Silver Award Project was making “comfort bags” with art supplies and books for a women’s shelter and for hospital patients. She also spent more than 170 hours working with children ages 0-6 as childcare attendant for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

Gabriella is the daughter of Mark and Sophie Whitehead. She has applied at the University of Oregon and University of Puget Sound and at the present time her goal is to major in nursing. She says her hobbies are photography, trombone, cooking, traveling and acting.

n

Heidi Villalobos has been a member of Student Government for four years, planning dances, selling T-shirts and making posters for upcoming school activities; she volunteered to help organize last year’s prom; was a member of the Spanish Club which brings Spanish heritage to the school; she’s a president of the Challenge Day Club discussing how to prevent bullying; she’s a member of the Fashion Club, which plans a camp for younger girls to teach them about fashion and creating their own clothes.

She belongs to Youth Heart of Hospice, planning activities, decorating cookies, reading books, playing games and singing song to residents from Hawks Ridge, Parkhurst House and Down Manor; and a member of Young Life, a religious group, for the past five years. She is the goalie for the lacrosse team and was ranked fifth at state and second in district and she was a member of the swim team for three years.

Heidi’s community service includes: collecting donations for the canned food drive; helping organize food bags and translate for individuals in need at FISH Food Bank; assisting individuals who need help cleaning homes and doing yard work for Faith in Action.

She volunteered at the Kids Triathlon, directing the children and helping with clean-up; she was a counselor at Peace Village Camp, planning activities for the summer teaching children to respect themselves and others for the past five years; she helped children make crafts at the Columbia Art Center; helped set up, check in individuals for the annual blood drives; sold raffles, took pictures and walked in Relay for Life and handed out food and signed in participants for Cancer Awareness Marathon.

She has worked for Hood River Aquatic Center as a lifeguard since 2011where she is a certified swim instructor, was employee of the month and made three water rescues.

Heidi is the daughter of Veronica and Rodney Espe. She would like to attend the University of Wyoming, majoring in communications.